FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban has sparked anger inside European soccer, with both continental confederation UEFA and the Royal Belgian Football Association discussing possible next steps, according to a high-ranking UEFA official. The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations, said no final decision had been taken.

As of Sunday evening, UEFA’s plan was to release a statement on Monday in response to FIFA’s ruling, according to a person familiar with the matter. The statement is expected to support the Belgian association, which was directly affected after Balogun was permitted to play against Belgium despite having been sent off in the previous match. Belgium is a member of UEFA.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the Belgian association said in a statement released after FIFA's ruling.

FIFA's ruling has also prompted criticism from inside soccer's global governing body. One of the organization’s vice presidents, asked by POLITICO for his view of the Balogun case, described it in a WhatsApp message as an “utter disgrace.” The vice president was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the matter.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was involved in behind-the-scenes conversations with FIFA to get U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban suspended, according to two people familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

Lutnick has developed close ties with the leadership of soccer's governing body. He attended a previously unreported dinner in early June with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and a small group of roughly half a dozen attendees, according to the two people.

The dinner underscores the unusually close relationship FIFA has cultivated with Trump administration officials beyond President Donald Trump himself. Lutnick, in particular, has developed a personal rapport with Infantino, hosting the FIFA president in his Commerce Department office and sitting beside him at the match between the U.S. and Bosnia and Herzegovina last week where Balogun received the red card.

BRUSSELS — Belgian politicians and soccer officials were outraged Sunday after FIFA ditched a one-match ban for American star Folarin Balogun that would have ruled him out of the U.S.-Belgium World Cup round-of-16 matchup on Monday.

President Donald Trump immediately thanked FIFA on his Truth Social platform after the controversial decision was announced, for “for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Shortly after FIFA’s bombshell, the New York Times reported that Trump has called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on Wednesday and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension.

Balogun was originally suspended for one match after being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina during the first knockout round. While many soccer pundits thought the red card was harsh, there is little precedent for a player not serving a further suspension after being ordered off during a tournament.

In a statement Sunday, the world soccer governing body said: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”

The Belgian football association said it was “astonished” by the decision to overturn the suspension. “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the association noted.

Senior politicians from across Belgium reacted with bafflement.

“True strength lies in winning with fair play (and by following all the rules). That’s what Belgium will do tomorrow. Full support for the Royal Belgian FA, which announced tonight that it is exploring all possibilities to protect the legitimate rights of all participants as well as the fundamental principles of fair play that govern soccer during this World Cup,” said Jacqueline Galant, Walloon sports minister from the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement.

“Shame on you! When money calls the shots, the World Cup loses all credibility. Adapting the rules to please Trump, trying to cheat to win—what a deplorable image for FIFA, for the soccer World Cup, and for the United States. Rules must be respected by everyone, in sports as in life,” the opposition Socialist party said in a statement.

“Amazing how a red card suddenly becomes ‘unjust’ when Trump gets involved ... FIFA must defend fairness, not give the impression of yielding to political pressures. See you on the pitch: the Devils' victory will be all the more valuable,” added Yvan Verougstraete, a member of the European Parliament and president of the Francophone centrist Les Engagés party.

Camille Gijs contributed to this report.

Lise Klaveness, the president of Norway's football federation, criticized FIFA chief Gianni Infantino's extensive travel by private jet during the World Cup.

"Being in one place for the first half and another for the second, and having to fly back and forth," Klaveness told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "That’s not how we would have done it."

A recent BBC report estimated that Infantino's plane travel during the first two weeks of the World Cup has produced the equivalent climate impact of 78 people over a whole year.

Our Sophia Cai wrote in December about concerns within FIFA that President Gianni Infantino was compromising the credibility of soccer's governing body in his efforts to placate Donald Trump:

Read Sophia's story "Gianni Infantino's Trump Problem" here.